Life at Sunshine (WardenXReader)
by Gamerwhogames
Summary: At Sunshine, you're just a few promotions away from the prized office of warden, and nothing's going to stop you. Not fatigue, delirium or those lowlife guests. But when he sees you starting to go through the stages of burnout, Warden does what he can to preserve his best associate manager.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys, it's me the Gamerwhogames (man, I need a new phrase)! I said I'd be doing an update a day this year, but something came up to bother those plans, of course, but here's what I owe you from Tuesday!**

 **I know he had, what, 5-minutes screen-time and next to no character development (also, he's dead), but I've really taken this odd admiration for Warden. Trust me, he's not as big a favorite as Aiden or Radar, but I feel like he's cool for no reason, y'know? If I have one thing to say about him, it's I wish Telltale would've kept him alive long enough for us to get to know him (could I also say I wish Stella was "evil" long enough for us to figure out what she had against Jesse?) Anyways, if it isn't obvious that this shot's going to be about Warden, I don't know quite what else to say except HIT IT, CRISPER!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

 _ **Oh, one more thing! This story's special because, drumroll please…. It features you, the reader! Yes, tons of other authors have written XReader shots before, but it's my first time at all writing one of these. I hope you enjoy this oneshot**_

 _ **(Y/N means your name, but N/N means nick-name)**_

* * *

Your temples were prickled with sweat no matter how many times you whipped out your white towel. You ignored it as your black shoes rapidly clicked across the dark halls and your arms clocked back and forth in strict intervals on your way to the double doors of the Mush-Room. You halted at the doors. The disheveled purple tie was yanked into a taut strip. You tried again in vain to loosen the constricting uniform.

You pushed the doors open and strode into the Mush-Room. Once eased associates fumbled into a brief salute to their manager. Loitering guests in orange heeded your entrance with a lowly glance. Everything in place, just as it should be. You walked into your corner of the room, your own little perch where you surveyed the goings on with an arrogant eagle's eye. Soft footsteps approaching your right further pricked your ears, and you saw an associate approaching you. A split-second's grin flickered on your face and almost instantaneously fizzled into your usual grim stare.

"Anthony," you greeted him quietly with a nod.

"Hey, Y/N." You and Anthony surveyed the place side by side. "So, what brings you from your office? Run out of ways to get that promotion you've been after?"

"Just found a new one, actually: keeping an eye on those new arrivals. I've heard some about them, just a bit, a feisty group of rebels needing some… guidance." You folded your arms and grinned, imagining just how satisfying the job would be. "If straightening out those hard cases doesn't get me that promotion, I'm honestly not sure what else will." Anthony shifted a bit, raising a hand to rub his neck and giving you a sideways glance.

"About that, N/N, me and the guys were wondering, and this isn't going to be a permanent thing! It's highly temporary, but we really wanted you to consider it, but do you think you could maybe," he breathed in and looked away, "take a little break from working?"

You stopped leaning on the wall and directly faced him. "What do you mean by that, Anthony? Be clear." The uniform felt tighter than before.

Anthony made eye-contact again. "What I mean by that is that we think you've been overworking yourself a tad bit?"

"And who is 'we'?"

"Literally everyone."

Your tough glare turned into a confused frown. "Everyone?"

"Guests, other associates, me? Even Warden's noticed how wound up you are."

You pricked a brow and your neck heated up. Your folded stance tightened and your lips slightly parted. "Wha-what'd he say?"

"Not much, just wanted to know if you ever stop working. I mean, day in and day out you're either cooped up in your office handling paperwork and records, or out on any given floor supervising guests. He, and we all think you should wind down."

"That's all he said?"

"Yeah." Anthony studied your heated face. He hummed softly and folded his arms. "You seem pretty stoked."

"Of course, I am. I don't think it's everyday he notices anyone at all."

"I think he's more so _worried_ about you? Kind of has a negative feeling compared to noticing you."

"Noticed? Worried? He sees me, that's all that matters." You turned away and grinned at your feet. "I'll have that spot in no time."

Behind you, Anthony sighed and facepalmed. "Obsessed." You turned around with low brows. "What? It's true. Take a nap sometime, would yah? You're crabby and weird when you don't sleep."

You waved Anthony off. "Later."

"Today preferably."

"Later." Your dismal face returned and you walked towards the middle of the room. Besides keeping an eye out for pesky, bad behavior, you tried to remember the last time you'd taken a nap. You couldn't place a date, but the dull hint in your stare gave away hints. You didn't want to admit your eyes weren't as keen as you wanted. The once burning energy in you was too cool for your taste. You forced yourself to maintain an alert posture, but your unnaturally rigid pose exposed your vain attempt. You zoned in on the laughter of a few nearby guests to keep yourself awake.

It shook you beyond comprehension.

"Have you seen Y/N lately?" A lowlife chatted to his two buddies. "She's like a crabby little Creeper, she is, whining about this, yawning about that."

"That girl needs to take a nap. She's turning into even more of a control-freak than she ever was." His friend replied.

"Proof there's a god somewhere. I didn't think she could get any more annoying than that." They continued their conversation as you collectedly walked up to them from behind, couth and deadly like a big cat on the prowl. You plucked the middle one out of the tight circle as if he was an apple. His collar clustered in your tight grasp and he whimpered and grunted, trying to push your hands away.

"So, what were you and your gents just saying about me?" Your legs began to quake and one of your eyes twitched. The skinny guest in your grasp gave a spitting laugh.

"You look kinda crazy with your eye doing that."

"What?" You clutched him close to your face. Your wide, bloodshot eyes and wolfish snarl dared him to say it again. "You must be out of your mind today. All three of you!" You gave a split-second's search for his two partners in crime who'd wisely disappeared. "Unlucky for you." You refocused on the man in your hands and lifted your right fist. "Let's see whose eyes look crazy," you drew back, but someone grabbed your arm. You spun around and landed your fist right into the guest's pale face and watched a black and purple uniform hit the floor. You gave the annoying guest a death glare before you pushed him back to deal with Anthony.

"Anthony, are you alright?" You reached out to help him up, a part of you wondering why the residents of the Mush-Room hadn't found you punching your fellow associate hilarious. Your eyes widened and jaw slacked, and your hand froze in place. "Warden?!" Did you salute, or just wait for him to stand up? Your hand began to shake and you wrenched it back. Your eyes darted around the room as Warden slowly sat up, rubbing at his face. Your terrified eyes caught with Anthony's.

"Help him up, Y/N!" He mouthed from across the room. Your heart caught in your chest. You grabbed Warden by the arm, ready or not, and yanked him into a standing position. Your eyes caught for the briefest of seconds. His dazed gaze, the calm before the storm, thoroughly shook you.

"Sir, I am so sorry, I thought you were a guest," you took a few steps back as he dabbed his faintly bruising cheek. The bluish stain stood out on his pale face. Who to blame, who to blame? You tried to keep your breathing under control when he refocused on you.

"Y/N,"

"… sir?"

"Is there a problem?" He folded his arms behind his back and tilted his chin and his one brow.

You felt your promotion slipping through your hands and heat rising to your cheeks. "Yes, sir." You heard his tongue click as he studied your face. He suddenly strode toward you, each click of his shoes more intimidating than the last. He closed the gap between you, standing half a head higher than you.

"Do enlighten me." You could see the orange uniform already.

"I," you cleared your throat. "I overheard some guests slandering me behind my back."

"Well, isn't that petty… who?"

You spotted him in the crowd and raised a shaking hand. "Him, sir." Warden finally allowed you a few more inches' space when he looked for the guest in question.

"Him, standing way over there?"

You hesitated. "Yes, sir." His piercing gaze settled on your face.

"Then why'd you punch me?" It was either a rhetorical question or a death-trap. Not many associates blamed Warden for their actions and lived to wear another uniform. You faltered for an answer. "Don't answer that." His firm interruption sealed your lips shut, but he smirked. He walked to the guest, leaving behind a very bewildered manager.

"Big Henry," the purple Golem lumbered over to its master, and you felt a hint of satisfaction when the guest from earlier flinched, "you know what to do." You didn't need to drown out the wails of the prisoner as the glowing beast walked towards him. "And you?" Now it was your turn to flinch. "Walk with me to my office." Hands behind his back, he strode out the doors. You had to remind your legs to walk for you. On the way out, you and Anthony mouthed an entire conversation until you couldn't see your lips.

'You'll be lucky to be wearing orange!' Were the last words you saw.

You sped-walked to catch up with Warden and then waited for him to speak. "Well, that was a dumb thing to do."

You dared to feel offended, but looked down at your feet. "Yes, sir." He glanced at you.

"To be honest, I would've just sent him down ten levels. Have you been getting any sleep lately? Time to yourself other than office-work?"

You looked at him with furrowed brows. "Sir?"

"You're usually way better with misbehaving guests than punching them, or unlucky bystanders in the face. I feel like you're burning out."

"Burning out?" You both stopped. "Sir, I promise you, I am _not_ burning out. Actually, I'm just getting started, you know. I'll be at the top of my game soon enough, you'll see."

"Does this mean you're going to be punching people in the face more often, then?"

"No, sir! That's not what I meant at all, sir!"

He laughed. Your suit felt tight again, and you loosened your tie. "Relax, Y/N. It's okay to laugh in front of me, I'm not gonna demote you." His words did nothing to ease you. "Let's go." You both walked down the hall. "You know, it'd be good if you could laugh at one of my jokes? Great way to make up for punching me in the face, if I might add." His gaze lingered on you, unintentionally giving you a perfect view of his bruise. His grin faded with your silence. "Well, if you're not going to laugh, you're going to talk. When was the last time you went to sleep?"

"I don't remember."

"Figured. I know you're concerned about stealing my job and all, but you should really take better care of yourself."

"Yes, sir." You stopped in front of his office.

"I'm going to my office, and you're going to take a nap before you kill someone." He walked into his office and you started to walk away. "Oh, and Y/N?" You turned around. "As punishment for punching your Warden in the face, you're suspended from duty until I say so."

"Excuse me?" But before you could start a debate, the piston-operated door filed closed. You stared at the stone wall, gently biting your lip. Suspension? You shook your head and started walking back to the Mush-Room. Hopefully you could get Anthony to put in a good word for you.

* * *

 **Aaand, close 'er down because I am tired! Literally nothing else to say except** _ **maybe**_ **stay tuned. I thought this was going to be a oneshot, but I feel like I can do more with this.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back to "Life at Sunshine". As I said earlier, this was originally going to be a oneshot, but I want to do more with it. Before we get started, let's look at some reviews!**

 **Ariza Luca: Get some sleep, xD!**

 **RapidSammi: Hey, long time no see! Maybe there aren't any XReader fics here on FFN (besides mine of course), but there are plenty on Wattpad and a handful or so on Quotev. I guess my only problem is that the XReaders don't have the ships I want, are just reader-inserts of canon (unoriginal), and on Wattpad the grammar and spelling is sometimes so bad I don't even understand the story. I'm glad you think I'm doing great!**

 **Oof (amazing name!): Can I stop you and tell you how relatable that is? Not just with XReaders, but fanfiction in general. Minor characters tend to be ignored, and just our luck we tend to gravitate towards them. I'm so glad you like Warden and I really appreciate you reading this.**

 **Well, let's get started. Hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

You felt you might as well have cleared out your office. No matter how many times you sighed, that heavy stone in your gut wouldn't leave. You slumped in the wooden chair of Anthony's office, only looking up when he handed you a cookie. You took it but put it into your inventory. "Ant, you've gotta put in a word for me, please!" He took a seat behind his desk and sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Y/N, you need to take a break."

"Maybe, and for fifteen minutes. Who knows how long he'll keep me on suspension?" You stood over Anthony, both hands planted firmly on his desktop. "Talk to him. I need to get back to work."

"No, you need to get back to sleep."

"I already took a nap."

Anthony stood and ran a hand across his short curls. "No, you didn't. All you did was sit in bed and stare at the ceiling."

You glared. "Were you spying on me?"

"No, but thanks for confirming me." You groaned softly and paced to the other side of the room, finding yourself instantly nose-to-nose with a wall. You loosened that annoying tie. You grabbed the cookie out of your pocket and snapped at it. That Anthony. "Why don't you just go talk to him yourself?"

You faced Anthony, a hand grasping your hip. "I just punched him in the face a few minutes ago, in case you forgot." You growled, pointing at him with your cookie. You wondered how long that bruise was going to last.

"Fine, sorry."

"So, you're going to ask him?"

"I never said that." He walked to a bookshelf and grabbed a book from one of the small, crowded bookshelves of his cramped office. You crammed the last bit of the cookie into your mouth and uttered your muffled frustration. "What?"

"I had my mouth full for a reason!" You plodded to your little chair and plopped down, chin in a hand so your lips slightly stuck out.

Anthony frowned at you with folded arms. "You're acting crazy, Y/N. It's only going to keep you from getting back to duty."

"Wait, what?" You straightened but your brows furrowed.

"I don't think he's suspending you just for punching him in the face, shocking as that is,"

"Yes, you've told me many times how shocked you were I didn't come out of there painted bright orange, back to the original subject?"

"I told you we all noticed you've been a bit crabby lately… okay, a lot." Your brows and lips lowered and straightened. "Well, don't get mad at me! It's true, ask anyone. We all think you need to take a break, and Warden's actually doing something about it."

You looked down at your lap, letting the words sink in. Your eyes suddenly widened and your lips parted to gasp. Your neck snapped right to Anthony who seemed frightened by your horrified expression. "So, you're saying I'm suspended because he wants me to take a break? Why doesn't he just ask?!" You shot up from your seat before Anthony could say another word. "That's the stupidest thing ever!"

His eyes widened. "Y/N, you're being way too loud. He could be literally anywhere right now."

"No, seriously! That's almost like force-feeding a starving person! You wouldn't do that, you'd just let him die of hunger!" Anthony rushed over to you and placed a firm hand on you. That's when you realized you were heaving with your arms in the air like a Sunday pastor delivering his favorite sermon.

"Whoa, calm down, Y/N." You breathed out and he gently turned you to face him. "You wouldn't need to force-feed a starving person because he'd want the food anyways, and letting him die of hunger is the wrong thing to do. If he asked you to take a break, you wouldn't. Also, this is proof you need to go to bed. Are you hearing yourself?"

You opened your mouth, but then closed it. "Kind of? My hearing's been a bit off lately." He tilted his head forward and raised a brow. You rolled your eyes and flicked his hand off your shoulder, turning around and walking to the door. "Fine, I'm taking a nap."

"Well, that's good, but I'm not quite done. He's suspending you because he wants you to take a break, so I think your best strategy for getting back to work would be to relax, take it easy."

A determined grin wormed its way across your face. "I'm going to relax as hard as I can."

Anthony sighed. "That's not what I meant. You need to genuinely take it easy. The sooner you're back to yourself, the better. Get rid of these." He gently poked at the bag under your eye. You nodded and spun around.

"I'm going to take a nap!" You announced. "See how relaxed I can be. I told him, I'm gonna be at the top of my game before you can say 'Big Henry', you'll see." You strode out the door on the way to your personal lounge.

"Sweet dreams." He deadpanned, closing the door behind you. Anthony sighed and walked back to his office and took a seat. To his right, he pulled out a slim stack of paper and quickly read over the first page. Before he could get back into work, the door swiftly creaked open and he saw you stick your head in.

"Put in a word for me." And the door was shut just as fast. You held your ear to the door, hoping your hearing wasn't really going out. You grinned when you heard a soft groan, fluttering paper, footsteps walking to the door. The doorknob jiggled and you launched and fled to another hiding spot. The door swung open and out trudged Anthony, muttering to himself about the trouble you were costing him. You laughed silently to yourself and clasped your hands together. When he was a few paces away from you, you began your stalking. You didn't mind walking to Warden's again if it meant you got to hear their conversation. Knowing for sure you were on the road to promotion and success would help with those sweet dreams Anthony had wished you.

Your sneaky walk down the hall ended when Anthony made it to Warden's office. He knocked on the sliding stone wall and waited. You were standing, peering around a corner, even though you felt like you were sitting, about to fall off your seat. After a few seconds, the door clunked open to reveal Warden standing next to the switch. You snatched away from his sight just before he saw you, pressing yourself against the wall like a cat on her last life. You held your breath and shut your eyes.

"Anthony, what brings you here?" His tone was calm and handsomely smooth as usual.

"Just come in here to, ah," you couldn't see him, but you knew Anthony was rubbing his neck by now, "put in a good word for Y/N?" You opened an eye when the silence seemed too long, but you didn't dare move. Not until you heard that door close.

"Come in." You breathed out. "I'd like to hear what excuses you have for her." Footsteps, the wall banging shut. You ran out of hiding and straight to the door, pressing your ear against its cool, stony surface. Muffled speech barely passed through. You felt disappointment starting to weigh you down, but you listened around different parts of the door. "Yes!" You whispered when you found a weak-spot in the sturdy stone.

"To begin with, I can assure you, Y/N did not mean to punch you in the face."

"I know that, Anthony. She's much smarter than that. I just wish she was smart enough to consider a vacation."

"Yeah. I heard she was suspended?"

"Well, who told you that? That was between me and her." The way he said it made it sound like some dirty secret.

"Oh, uh, she actually told me." Silence.

"You two are close, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess you could—"

"How close, would you say?" You and Anthony both shared in the shocked silence. Between hoping Anthony didn't think you were a couple and wondering why Warden was concerned, you didn't know what to worry about more.

"Just friends." You breathed out, a gentle hand on your heart.

"Very well." Your hair stood on end and your heart cranked up again. You and Anthony weren't the only ones holding your breath.

Anthony cleared his throat. "She's, uh, pretty bummed out about being suspended from duty. You know her, she's a little… promotion-crazy."

"Dedicated is a better word, probably the most dedicated I've ever seen a person. You, on the other hand, seem content with your position, not necessarily a bad thing. Surely wouldn't want two sleep-deprived officials on duty." Anthony gave a fluttering chuckle.

"True. She's taking a nap right now, but that's probably not going to erase the graveyard shifts in an instant, you know. But… I mean, you never know. Say she springs back sooner than you'd expected. Would you… allow her to work again?" If the wall wasn't stone, you would've pushed yourself through by now. Warden had this nasty habit of waiting to answer pressing questions like these.

"If she really wants a discussion about this, she can talk with me herself, am I clear?" Your eyes widened, and you could feel your heart pumping.

"Yes, sir."

When you felt the wall shift you were off faster than a baby zombie. You dashed to your lounge and threw yourself on the bed. Screaming into the pillows wasn't going to solve your problems, but it was a great start.

* * *

 **Oh, boy. The heat is cranking up. What happens next? Find out tomorrow!**

 **Don't worry, Warden-fans (and lovers, rawr!). These first two chapters may have been more Anthony-friendship focused, but things will get shippy in the very near future. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to check out my new fanfic, "Through Winding Portals we Go!". I think you'll like it. Well, close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys! Sorry for not uploading on Saturday like I'd promised, but be glad! I could've been grounded for a week, but luckily my parents decided to just kick me off for that day. Here's what I owe you from Saturday. PAY IT, CRISPER!**

 **Crisper: (pays it)**

* * *

You lay in bed staring at the ceiling, your face still red from your screaming-session (you weren't joking about screaming into the pillows). With your rage released, you were calm enough to think clearly through your tangle of troubles.

But where did you start?

You sat up and shook your head. Regardless of your eavesdropping, you were still determined to relax like there was no tomorrow.

You walked to the bookshelf and snatched your favorite book and turned to the page you left off. A few words in, you walked to a desk in your room and opened the drawer. You rummaged around and found your favorite CD and popped it into your jukebox. You walked back to your bed to enjoy the book. That promotion was right in your hands again, almost as real as the pages you were turning. Reading was a great way to take your mind off everything that you'd overheard.

For a few paragraphs.

The book clapped shut and you gently tossed it onto your desk before groaning monstrously. You just couldn't shake what you'd overheard at Warden's office. He wasn't fooling anyone with his 'very well', especially not you. The relief in his voice when Anthony said you were friends was the thing keeping you from relaxing your butt off, let alone the fact that he wanted to talk to you and not Anthony.

You glanced at the clock on your wall. It had been about an hour, and Anthony couldn't keep you up here forever. You felt under your eye for any bags before you walked outside. This was just something you knew you couldn't keep bottled inside, especially since you needed to play it cool to get your job back. The walk from your office to Anthony's would give you some time to compose your thoughts and loosen that pesky tie again.

"Stupid tie!" You hissed under your breath, trying to yank it off instead of loosening it. "Why won't you come loose?" You grabbed the tie end with both hands. Suddenly an alarm exploded all around you. You flinched with the tie still in your hand, and it shrank around your neck like a vise. It felt like it was cutting into your neck, and the screaming alarm didn't help at all. A few associates rushed from behind, some bumping into you.

"Prisoner X escaped again!"

You tried to call out for help, frantically scratching at the tie, but they ran on. Black spots quickly filled your blurring vision. You knew what Prisoner X would do if she found you. You were running out of air. You tried to run back to your office. You were on the floor. What? You could barely squeak out Anthony's name. You couldn't see. You weakly fingered at your tie. Your head hurt. Your ears, too. Footsteps plodded towards you. You prayed it was Anthony. You couldn't move. Would that alarm shut up? You hoped it wasn't Prisoner X. You blacked out.

You woke up slowly, hearing someone's voice. It came in and out of focus.

"Y/N, are you alright? Can you hear me?" You felt someone's hands gently placed on your shoulders, then the hard, cold floor underneath you. You hissed when you felt the headache coming on. Joke was on you for tripping on air, but then it wasn't every day you choked yourself with a tie.

"Where am I?"

"In my office." You knew you recognized that voice. You slowly turned your head to face him, blinking away the blurriness. Warden's blue eye and golden eyepiece gradually came into focus, along with the rest of your surroundings. He sat in a chair directly in front of you, a cloth and a small bowl of water in hit lap.

"Warden?" He flashed you a grin. You froze up.

"It seems you hit your head pretty hard." He reached and gently dabbed your head with a cool, damp cloth. You felt your neck warming up. You feebly reached for the cloth, but he held it away from you. "Let me do this, Y/N. You need to rest." You put your hands in your lap and tried to relax. "How do you feel?"

You were well enough to feel tense, but too weak to do anything else. "I'm fine." You avoided his gaze, remembering why you'd left his office the first place. You didn't want to think about it right now with him right now playing doctor. The thought alone made you shudder. He quickly pulled away, and you saw his concerned look out of the corner of your eye.

"Are you sure? Do you feel cold?"

"No, sir."

"You shuddered. Do you feel sick or anything?"

"No, sir." You felt his fingers grace your chin to pull it up, but you wouldn't budge at first.

"Let me see your eyes, Y/N." His firm tone and years or so of submission made you turn your head so quickly it hurt. He leaned forward, staring intensely into your eye. It was quite a task to hold eye-contact. Seconds later, he tilted your head slightly to inspect the other one, humming softly to himself. "They don't seem dilated." He removed his hand from your chin and went back to dabbing your forehead.

"If you don't mind me asking—"

"Of course, I don't mind you asking. Just go ahead."

You hesitated when he grinned at you again. You hoped he was this friendly with everyone. "What happened?"

"Prisoner X escaped, and everyone went on a manhunt. I found you on the floor in the hallway and saw that you were choking on—"

"That blasted tie."

"So, you remember some?"

"A little bit."

"How'd you get the tie on so tight, anyways?" You gently touched your neck and felt the marks where it had dug into your skin.

"It was an accident. I was walking down the hall trying to loosen it, but when those alarms came on I flinched and ended up tightening it all the way."

Warden paused and frowned at you, but then a smirk crawled across his face. "Well, I'm just glad you're okay." He put the cloth back into the bowl and looked at your knot. "It's gone down some, but it probably still hurts."

"Did they find her yet?"

"Nope." You both looked at the stone door on the other side of the room. "Still waiting it out."

"Waiting it out?" You sat up some in the leather chair.

"Well, I couldn't just leave you in here, you were out cold. They can take care of Prisoner X, I can take care of you." You felt weird, but a smile crept across your face anyways.

"Th-thank you, sir." You started to stand and your head began to throb. Warden stood and placed his hands on your arms to keep you steady.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to my office."

"She's still out there, you know, and you're in no condition to defend yourself. Meanwhile…." He made you sit down, but he walked back to his desk. You leaned over in your chair, but not too much, to watch him. He opened a drawer, glanced at you once, and pulled out a pink cake. "I hope you like cake."

"I don't know." You said as he walked back to you and sat. "I haven't had it in so long I can't remember if I like it or not." He broke a piece off and handed it to you. "Where'd you even get the ingredients for it?"

He chuckled, looking down at his lap. He smiled at you. "That's a secret." He took a bite of his cake. You gave yours a skeptical, but open-minded look. You cautiously licked the pink frosting when Warden laughed.

"Go on, it's cake, not a bomb. I think you'll like it, it tastes sweet." You forced yourself to take a bit out of it. "You like it?" You nodded.

"It's actually great." You nodded before taking another bite. It was way better than cookies, though you knew you weren't going to give those up. Before you knew it your first slice was gone. Warden held out another. A memory flashed in your mind, the reason you were out in the hallway: To talk to Anthony about what you'd overheard. You cautiously received the cake, but didn't eat it. Your smile faded and your eyes fell to the ground.

"Your head okay?"

You looked up again and nodded. You took a half-hearted bite out of your cake.

"Now, I know a lot about you down here in Sunshine, but what did you do for a living in the Overworld, if you don't mind me asking?"

The cake in your mouth suddenly lost its sweetness. Heat spread up your neck. You looked down at your lap.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, I had no idea you still missed that place." He put a hand on your knee.

"No, it's not that." When you looked up, you flinched to find his face mere centimeters from yours. He quickly scooted back and so did you. He looked away from you, giving you a good look at his pink cheeks.

"So, what is it?"

You bit your tongue, trying one more time to stop yourself from making the biggest mistake of your life. "Forgive me for asking this, but…." You cleared your throat and scratched your neck. You looked up and sighed, your head beginning to throb again. You looked at Warden, who was gazing at you out of the corner of his mechanical eye, his real one conveniently hidden from your face. You bit your lip and stared. He turned to face you full on and sighed.

"No, it's," he gestured fleetingly to his mechanical eye, "no, it doesn't help me see through walls."

You fought a grin. "That's not what I was gonna ask."

He grinned. "It wasn't?"

"No, sir."

"You'd be surprised how many people ask me about it, especially first-timers." He said through laughter. You laughed some more. "So, uh," he breathed out, "what were you trying to ask me?"

You stilled. You glanced at the cake still in your hand, then back at him. Why did he care what you did in the Overworld? You breathed out. Now or never. You shut your eyes and tensed up. "Is this a date?" You mentally face-palmed. You didn't dare open your eyes, but you could picture him staring at you with shock, disdain. When you opened your eyes, you got to see it for yourself.

"No." His voice was scolding and firm.

Your eyebrows furrowed slightly. "No?"

"Of course, not! I don't even like you." You tilted your head and frowned. "Don't act confused, Y/N." It was hard not to.

"Yes, sir." You nodded professionally despite the quite unprofessional blush growing across your face. Then again, it wasn't like Warden was so fair-skinned either. In your opinion, bright red was far better suiting than pale. It went great with the purple. Silence filled the room. You glanced at the door. "Is… Prisoner X still out there?"

"You mean you want to leave?"

You kept your eyes on the door, measuring your words. "Yes, sir." Silence. You held your breath.

"Fine, then. Leave." You gently stood to your feet, careful not to aggravate your head, and walked to the door. You flipped the lever and saw yourself out, not looking behind yourself. When you were sure Prisoner X wasn't lurking the halls with a hankering for homicide, you were going straight to Anthony.

* * *

 **Come on, guys, did you really think I was going to have Warden roll over and say 'Hey, I like you, grrl'? Nope. If you'll read the fine print in the description, you'll see that I said, 'there will be an emotional-minecart involved because people can be butts'.**

 **Crisper: (is reading the description) But Gamer, there** _ **is**_ **no fine-print.**

 **It's just an expression.**

 **Crisper: (rereads the description) There isn't an expression either. Are you playing tricks on us?**

 ***rolls eyes* Well, I hope you enjoyed today's chapter. Have you read "Through Winding Portals We Go" yet? It's only got one chapter up, but I'm looking to update soon, so you might want to check that out!**

 **That aside, don't forget to review, favorite and follow to see where the emotional-minecart takes you next. Happy MLK. Enjoy school. Don't take the tide-pod challenge (srsly, please don't, i prefer people when theyre alive). Close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (is still reading the description)**


End file.
